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Sweet and Sour
A heartfelt middle-grade novel about ex-best friends, betrayals, and revenge that is best served sour.
Revenge is sweet!
For as long as she can remember, Mai has spent every summer in Mystic, Connecticut visiting family friends. And hanging out with her best-friend-since-birth, Zach Koyama, was always the best part.
Then two summers ago everything changed. Zach humiliated Mai, proving he wasn’t a friend at all. So when Zach’s family moved to Japan, Mai felt relieved. No more summers together. No more heartache.
But this year, the Koyamas have returned and the family vacation is back on. And if Mai has to spend the summer around Zach, the least she can do is wipe away the memory of his betrayal...by coming up with the perfect plan for revenge!
Only Zach isn’t the boy he used to be, and Mai’s memories of their last fateful summer aren’t the whole truth of what happened between them. Now she’ll have to decide if she can forgive Zach, even if she can never forget.
Revenge is sweet!
For as long as she can remember, Mai has spent every summer in Mystic, Connecticut visiting family friends. And hanging out with her best-friend-since-birth, Zach Koyama, was always the best part.
Then two summers ago everything changed. Zach humiliated Mai, proving he wasn’t a friend at all. So when Zach’s family moved to Japan, Mai felt relieved. No more summers together. No more heartache.
But this year, the Koyamas have returned and the family vacation is back on. And if Mai has to spend the summer around Zach, the least she can do is wipe away the memory of his betrayal...by coming up with the perfect plan for revenge!
Only Zach isn’t the boy he used to be, and Mai’s memories of their last fateful summer aren’t the whole truth of what happened between them. Now she’ll have to decide if she can forgive Zach, even if she can never forget.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
35 people are currently reading
2741 people want to read
About the author
Debbi Michiko Florence
40 books235 followersDebbi Michiko Florence is the author of upper middle grade novels Sweet and Sour, Keep It Together, Keiko Carter, Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai, and This Is How I Roll. She has a debut middle grade series called Last Chance Academy. Book 1, A Study in Secrets, is coming on March 11, 2025! She is also the author of three chapter books series including Jasmine Toguchi with four new books, Follow Jasmine as she travels to Japan on vacation! And Debbi co-authored a picture book biography, Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites.
Her books have received starred reviews, JLG Selections, and inclusion on lists such as Amazon Best Books and the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best.
Her books have received starred reviews, JLG Selections, and inclusion on lists such as Amazon Best Books and the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
November 19, 2024
It feels like summer to me once yet another MG or Children's Literature book is opened and the awesome adventures an author generously offers were dived into. This story was sweet, never sour. Well, you know what I mean 🙂. Friendship is a gift, a blooming flower in spring, and it was questioned in here. What to be a BFF means? Sweet and sour memories we are encountering on the way while observing Mai navigating and struggling through her feelings. Enjoyed this one! And am enjoying this summer - in the nature most of the time :)
May 15, 2022
DISCLAIMER: I received a digital review copy of Sweet and Sour via Edelweiss Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review
I just want to preface this by saying that this was one of my most anticipated releases this year. It's just...
Let me start with the things I did like:
Okay. On to what I didn't like.
Initially, I got why Mai was angry with Zach. I get it--what we did was stupid and she's only thirteen, BUT as the book went on it became increasingly difficult to be on her side, and she ended up coming across as incredibly annoying. Like, honey, Zach is over here bending over backwards for you, and you still want to be like "zAcH dOeSnT cArE aBoUt mE".
I almost feel like in trying to make it believable that Zach could be redeemed, it painted Mai in a totally unreasonable light.
I don't know, I just think I'm not the target audience--I've never been a fan of straight-up romance drama--but I think the target audience will really enjoy it.
Good for fans of Jenny Han's To All the Boys series (and fans of the movies too).
I just want to preface this by saying that this was one of my most anticipated releases this year. It's just...
Let me start with the things I did like:
Okay. On to what I didn't like.
Initially, I got why Mai was angry with Zach. I get it--what we did was stupid and she's only thirteen, BUT as the book went on it became increasingly difficult to be on her side, and she ended up coming across as incredibly annoying. Like, honey, Zach is over here bending over backwards for you, and you still want to be like "zAcH dOeSnT cArE aBoUt mE".
I almost feel like in trying to make it believable that Zach could be redeemed, it painted Mai in a totally unreasonable light.
I don't know, I just think I'm not the target audience--I've never been a fan of straight-up romance drama--but I think the target audience will really enjoy it.
Good for fans of Jenny Han's To All the Boys series (and fans of the movies too).
November 26, 2022
Gorgeous cover 😍
Idyllic summer vibes 🌞
Great representation 🇯🇵
Beautiful coming-of-age story 🥰
Heartwarming tale of friendship and first love 💖
Wonderful character growth and development 👍
Tackles important topics such as racism & navigating complicated emotions 💪
High readability 📚
Such a sweet and precious read! ❤️
Idyllic summer vibes 🌞
Great representation 🇯🇵
Beautiful coming-of-age story 🥰
Heartwarming tale of friendship and first love 💖
Wonderful character growth and development 👍
Tackles important topics such as racism & navigating complicated emotions 💪
High readability 📚
Such a sweet and precious read! ❤️
May 27, 2023
WHY WAS THIS BOOK SO AMAZING!!!!!!?? I’ll talk abt it more in a vid definitely
February 8, 2024
This book was SO slow moving. The whole plot could have finished in about 10 pages. The whole book is just Mai holding a grudge on Zach but no communication skills, so Zach is confused. Finally at the end Zach apologizes for the thing he didn’t realize he did to her two years ago and they become more than friends. Mai could have just told him how she was feeling two years ago…so I didn’t really like Mai’s character but I did like Zach’s character. That was probably the only good part just because he was he was always so nice to her even though she was rude to him all summer.
Want to read
November 30, 2021This looks like such a fun summer read, cannot wait!!
April 2, 2022
This book gave me Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han vibes but for middle grade. Sweet and Sour is the perfect summer contemporary read. It's all about friendships - the old, the new, and the ones that just might turn into something more. Mai is a super relatable character and Zach was so sweet! I really wanted them to get along and be best friends again!
November 23, 2022
There was nothing sweet about this book for me. It was exhausting to read!! Amai was determined to be angry and hold a grudge for the entire summer. No matter who tried to convince her to forgive, to talk about it, to move on, she held onto her anger and hate. I didn’t like her as a character and felt no connection to her. Zach is too good for her. I think the kiss was very out of place and didn’t fit the storyline at all. It felt gratuitous. They are 12 years old, hadn’t seen each other for 2 years and Amai hated Zach. It made no sense. The cover image makes the characters appear very childish.
October 30, 2023
My niece recommended this middle grade novel about two best friends, Mai and Zach, and their struggles through their friendship. I loved the themes of loyalty, honesty, and forgiveness. I’ll definitely recommend this one to my 4th graders! Thanks, Emma!
September 1, 2025
Where to start! First of all this book was amazing! I am writing this review 2 days after finishing it. And I WISH there was a book 2!! This book gives off summer I turned pretty vibes. So I thought it would be cool to have Mai go back next summer like in the summer I turned pretty books. I loved the characters, the twins, Zach, Mai, and I thought the dad’s job was really cool. The only thing I don’t like about this book was the reason Mai was mad at Zach was kind of childish. And some things she did felt VERY Childish. But that’s about it there’s nothing else I don’t like about this book. I loved the Canoeing Mai and Zach did. And the birding was so fun to read about! I loved the town they went to, with the bookstore and bakery. I loved the friendship aspect with Mai, Celeste, and Lila. and Noah’s and Zach’s friendship. I liked how Lila and Mai talked about their feelings. I hate books where no one talks to each other for simple fixes. That did not happen in this book, for example Lila got jealous about Celeste. And she talked with Mai about it. See simple fix, that’s all I have to say about this book I would highly recommend it.
🌶️0/5 (some kissing but not graphic)
⭐️4/5
⚔️0/5
(Age rating) 11/12+
🌶️0/5 (some kissing but not graphic)
⭐️4/5
⚔️0/5
(Age rating) 11/12+
February 6, 2022
Mai and her family have always spent summers in Mystic, CT visiting with her mom's best friend's family, the Koyamas. Mai and Zack have been BFFs forever until Zack betrays Mai when he doesn't have her back after friends of his insult her. How can she possibly ever be best friends with someone who does that? As the family plans their trip to Mystic, Mai is focused on getting revenge, but how? And will it be worth it? I totally loved everything about this book- from the relationships between the families, and particularly Zack and Mai, to the local references, oh and don't forget BTS! Highly recommend.
February 5, 2022
What a great story about friendship! This is a perfect mg book about the ebb & flow of those relationships and could spark discussions in the classroom about what it means to be a friend and how friends can disagree and/or inadvertently hurt each other! It doesn’t mean you can’t be friends anymore. Communication is key! Many kids do not have the skill set or any practice in communicating and books like this could spur discussions!
January 26, 2023
FANTASTIC premise, but the execution was hard to read.
I take no issue with the writing style, and I'll give the author this--I was hooked! As someone who has dealt with the painful loss of friendships I thought would endure, I was all in for this book. I was on a waiting list. Unfortunately, in trying to capture the pain and conflict of the protagonist, I felt that the scales tipped wayyyyyy too far into making her downright unlikeable.
Look, I get it. She's a young teen. It's a challenging time. Her best friend definitely did something hurtful and unkind! But his mistake seemed easy to explain and apologize for, so I found it hard to believe that she was so full of rage for him after a lifetime of this closer-than-family bond after just one incident. I TOTALLY bought that she felt unsafe, confused, hurt, and angry; that wasn't the issue. Even small betrayals can feel like a slap in the face. But when this story begins, Zach is so over-the-top kind, friendly, generous, and enthusiastic, so quick to excuse all Mai's faults, so earnest and vulnerable and adorable, that it felt utterly bizarre to have her thinking and saying things like "He just doesn't care about me at all! I don't matter to him!" It seemed so overblown and obviously false, like she was creating pointless drama out of literally nothing. I'd have found it far more palatable if she was thinking "I know Zach cares about me a lot, but how can I really trust him again? He doesn't know anything is wrong--should I tell him? What if he just laughs it off or makes excuses--that would hurt even more! I don't know if we can ever be as close as we used to be if he's not going to stick up for me when I'm gone." If she'd felt like she "should" trust him when he's being so kind, but still wrestle with the pain and anger she feels over his hurtful behavior.
Wanting to humiliate him and ruin his life felt, uh, wildly disproportionate. As did Zach's goofy, cute, boy-band persona that had seemingly endless stamina in the face of Mai's snubbing. I'd have found all this easier to believe if Zach, confused and hurt himself, had started withdrawing or becoming annoyed partway through the summer, but no, he's just hanging around like a puppy, being perfect at Mai all the time, making her anger seem even weirder. So now he doesn't feel real (how can he not notice she's mad or at least never react or have visible feelings around it?) and she feels unsympathetic, which is a bummer, because I am absolutely here for stories where girls have to speak up about boys' hurtful behavior and boys have to apologize and make it right. Zach did need to apologize! But a) he had no way of knowing she even saw him do the "betraying" thing, so how could he know to apologize to her, which never even seemed to occur to her, and b) later in the story Mai does the exact same thing to a new friend, accidentally hurts her, and has to apologize and make it right (which I really liked! Yay for healthy communication and taking responsibility and second chances!) which was a really obvious place to have Mai go "Oh, I guess I just made the same mistake I've been hating Zach over . . . maybe I should be a little kinder to him or give him the chance to apologize like I just did." But nope! She's clueless. The narrative kept forcing her anger to go on and on and on through bigger and bigger reveals. By the end I think I was supposed to feel happy for them and glad they made up, but instead I felt awful. Mai held something over Zach's head for MONTHS while plotting revenge. Their summer was wasted. Ouch.
I take no issue with the writing style, and I'll give the author this--I was hooked! As someone who has dealt with the painful loss of friendships I thought would endure, I was all in for this book. I was on a waiting list. Unfortunately, in trying to capture the pain and conflict of the protagonist, I felt that the scales tipped wayyyyyy too far into making her downright unlikeable.
Look, I get it. She's a young teen. It's a challenging time. Her best friend definitely did something hurtful and unkind! But his mistake seemed easy to explain and apologize for, so I found it hard to believe that she was so full of rage for him after a lifetime of this closer-than-family bond after just one incident. I TOTALLY bought that she felt unsafe, confused, hurt, and angry; that wasn't the issue. Even small betrayals can feel like a slap in the face. But when this story begins, Zach is so over-the-top kind, friendly, generous, and enthusiastic, so quick to excuse all Mai's faults, so earnest and vulnerable and adorable, that it felt utterly bizarre to have her thinking and saying things like "He just doesn't care about me at all! I don't matter to him!" It seemed so overblown and obviously false, like she was creating pointless drama out of literally nothing. I'd have found it far more palatable if she was thinking "I know Zach cares about me a lot, but how can I really trust him again? He doesn't know anything is wrong--should I tell him? What if he just laughs it off or makes excuses--that would hurt even more! I don't know if we can ever be as close as we used to be if he's not going to stick up for me when I'm gone." If she'd felt like she "should" trust him when he's being so kind, but still wrestle with the pain and anger she feels over his hurtful behavior.
Wanting to humiliate him and ruin his life felt, uh, wildly disproportionate. As did Zach's goofy, cute, boy-band persona that had seemingly endless stamina in the face of Mai's snubbing. I'd have found all this easier to believe if Zach, confused and hurt himself, had started withdrawing or becoming annoyed partway through the summer, but no, he's just hanging around like a puppy, being perfect at Mai all the time, making her anger seem even weirder. So now he doesn't feel real (how can he not notice she's mad or at least never react or have visible feelings around it?) and she feels unsympathetic, which is a bummer, because I am absolutely here for stories where girls have to speak up about boys' hurtful behavior and boys have to apologize and make it right. Zach did need to apologize! But a) he had no way of knowing she even saw him do the "betraying" thing, so how could he know to apologize to her, which never even seemed to occur to her, and b) later in the story Mai does the exact same thing to a new friend, accidentally hurts her, and has to apologize and make it right (which I really liked! Yay for healthy communication and taking responsibility and second chances!) which was a really obvious place to have Mai go "Oh, I guess I just made the same mistake I've been hating Zach over . . . maybe I should be a little kinder to him or give him the chance to apologize like I just did." But nope! She's clueless. The narrative kept forcing her anger to go on and on and on through bigger and bigger reveals. By the end I think I was supposed to feel happy for them and glad they made up, but instead I felt awful. Mai held something over Zach's head for MONTHS while plotting revenge. Their summer was wasted. Ouch.
August 13, 2025
⭐ 4 stars! I loved this book!
🧡💞🩵
Things I liked:
-The Summer vibes ⛱✨ It was really giving off The Summer I Turned Pretty, as many other people have said already.
-The characters!! Mai is good, Zach is awesome, Lila is adorable, Celeste is great, and the twins are so cute. 😃
-The conversation between Mai and Zach on page 132 😳😂🤦🏼♀😂 lol wasn't expecting that
-Again, Zach was such a good guy throughout the entire book ! He's so sweet.
-The Friends to Lovers trope 🥰 I think it's my fav!!
-The cover and spine! So pretty! 🦋
-The "Sweet" and "Sour" memory chapters were good
-The new and old friendships!!! 💖
-Super easy read! 📚
Things I didn't like:
-Mai was getting pretty annoying and unreasonable towards the middle/end. Like, girl, it happened 2 years ago! Just let it go! I don't think what happened was even THAT terrible and horrifying of a situation. Mai should have just told Zach how she felt and everything would have been fine. I was yelling at her for a second there because girl please forgive him he REALLY LIKES YOU AND YOU LIKE HIM DON'T BREAK HIS HEART!! lol I'm like Celeste.
In conclusion, Sweet and Sour was such a fun and cute read! I loved it!
🧡💞🩵
Things I liked:
-The Summer vibes ⛱✨ It was really giving off The Summer I Turned Pretty, as many other people have said already.
-The characters!! Mai is good, Zach is awesome, Lila is adorable, Celeste is great, and the twins are so cute. 😃
-The conversation between Mai and Zach on page 132 😳😂🤦🏼♀😂 lol wasn't expecting that
-Again, Zach was such a good guy throughout the entire book ! He's so sweet.
-The Friends to Lovers trope 🥰 I think it's my fav!!
-The cover and spine! So pretty! 🦋
-The "Sweet" and "Sour" memory chapters were good
-The new and old friendships!!! 💖
-Super easy read! 📚
Things I didn't like:
-Mai was getting pretty annoying and unreasonable towards the middle/end. Like, girl, it happened 2 years ago! Just let it go! I don't think what happened was even THAT terrible and horrifying of a situation. Mai should have just told Zach how she felt and everything would have been fine. I was yelling at her for a second there because girl please forgive him he REALLY LIKES YOU AND YOU LIKE HIM DON'T BREAK HIS HEART!! lol I'm like Celeste.
In conclusion, Sweet and Sour was such a fun and cute read! I loved it!
March 7, 2023
Mai has felt betrayed by Zach for years - ever since she overheard that conversation he had in town. Mai and Zach's families spend summers together at a vacation house - until recently, that is, when Zach's family moved to Japan. Now they're back, and Mai's ready to take her revenge.
Florence uses the capsule location of the vacation house to focus on just a few relationships in Mai's life. Sometimes Mai's mental gymnastics are a little hard to believe, but she's a middle schooler, and I know that tracks with teen development. I appreciated the inclusion of KPOP fandom and bird watching as a hobby.
The tagline on this is "There are three sides to every story--his, hers, and the truth," so I thought we might get multiple perspectives, but it's really just through Mai's lens. Also, the whale illustrated on the cover is nothing like the whale sculpture that's described in the book.
Light, and yes - sweet.
I'll probably take this out to middle schools, as Mai's squarely in middle school.
Florence uses the capsule location of the vacation house to focus on just a few relationships in Mai's life. Sometimes Mai's mental gymnastics are a little hard to believe, but she's a middle schooler, and I know that tracks with teen development. I appreciated the inclusion of KPOP fandom and bird watching as a hobby.
The tagline on this is "There are three sides to every story--his, hers, and the truth," so I thought we might get multiple perspectives, but it's really just through Mai's lens. Also, the whale illustrated on the cover is nothing like the whale sculpture that's described in the book.
Light, and yes - sweet.
I'll probably take this out to middle schools, as Mai's squarely in middle school.
January 1, 2023
This book was so sweet!
I knew I would love this author ever since I read Be Cool Jenna Sakai
I loved this book it was sweet heartfelt happy all in one
I definitely recommend this book
I also loved the flashbacks and how they were titled sour and sweet
Debbi Michiko Florence has done it
Again!!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I knew I would love this author ever since I read Be Cool Jenna Sakai
I loved this book it was sweet heartfelt happy all in one
I definitely recommend this book
I also loved the flashbacks and how they were titled sour and sweet
Debbi Michiko Florence has done it
Again!!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 5, 2024
Actual rating: 4.5 starsI really enjoyed this sweet coming of age novel in which Mai has to navigate several friendship dilemmas from an old friendship broken by betrayal, a current friendship strained by distance, and new friendships struggling to survive the mess of the previous ones. It also has a little blossom of middle school romance which I found adorable.
November 6, 2024
It was good! Just a little to long😒
October 5, 2024
This book is so underrated not even because it’s the best book ever but it’s just so sweet. And to me shows how easily things can change or be ruined, how misleading things can be without context. I honestly kinda felt bad for Zach but at the same time like she was right he should have defended her. This book is so cute and binge-able . But in my opinion the plot of the book was all over the place. Like idk I can’t explain it. I would give this book no more than 3.25⭐️
July 24, 2022
Debbi Michiko Florence's books are always realistic and relatable and this is not an exception. Readers will enjoy Mai & Zach's story and root for a happy ending as they navigate a rough patch in their friendship.
December 8, 2022
Mai and her parents have spent every summer in Mystic, CT with the Koyama family. Mai and Zach Koyama, who is just a year older than her, have been best buds every summer. That is until 2 years ago. Zach did something and never apologized for it the last summer the families were together. They are returning from Japan after 2 years away, and Mai has been just getting angrier and angrier and dreaming up ways to get back at Zach. But when he shows up, Zach is nothing but nice to her. And Mai never talked to him about the incident that left her so upset. He should know, right?
Oh boy, it is a long, tough road for Mai to figure out that Zach can't read her mind, and she didn't know his perspective of the event. The resolution and the message of this book are SUPER important for middle grade readers to learn. Mai learns a lot over this summer about important friendship skills for not only her relationship with Zach but other friends (her BFF in Cali named Lila and a girl Zach invites to the summer place a couple of times named CeCe). Mai and others learn that communication is vitally important, and key to healthy friendships! She also learns that holding grudges doesn't help anything. I hope readers can learn from her mistakes and not have to go through the same things themselves! The summer family vacation setting is fun, and the little aspects of their families' Japanese American culture woven naturally into the story is great (as are the little bits the Koyamas share about living in Japan). Zach's little twin brothers are a hoot and bring some much needed levity to the story. And the parents are realistically flawed but still pretty great (a conversation between Mai and her mom is integral to her positive change). Overall, a wonderful contemporary fiction story about realistic middle school issues (and just a touch of tween romance).
Notes on content: Mai relates some racist comments she heard some boys say. No other language issues. No sexual content beyond 2 little kisses. No violence. Mai is plotting mean things, but . Mai is learning what to do with upsetting feelings and the talk with her mom and another talk with a friend help her find healthier ways of handling those eventually.
Oh boy, it is a long, tough road for Mai to figure out that Zach can't read her mind, and she didn't know his perspective of the event. The resolution and the message of this book are SUPER important for middle grade readers to learn. Mai learns a lot over this summer about important friendship skills for not only her relationship with Zach but other friends (her BFF in Cali named Lila and a girl Zach invites to the summer place a couple of times named CeCe). Mai and others learn that communication is vitally important, and key to healthy friendships! She also learns that holding grudges doesn't help anything. I hope readers can learn from her mistakes and not have to go through the same things themselves! The summer family vacation setting is fun, and the little aspects of their families' Japanese American culture woven naturally into the story is great (as are the little bits the Koyamas share about living in Japan). Zach's little twin brothers are a hoot and bring some much needed levity to the story. And the parents are realistically flawed but still pretty great (a conversation between Mai and her mom is integral to her positive change). Overall, a wonderful contemporary fiction story about realistic middle school issues (and just a touch of tween romance).
Notes on content: Mai relates some racist comments she heard some boys say. No other language issues. No sexual content beyond 2 little kisses. No violence. Mai is plotting mean things, but . Mai is learning what to do with upsetting feelings and the talk with her mom and another talk with a friend help her find healthier ways of handling those eventually.
June 17, 2022
Such a darling book that explores friendship and young love and all their beautiful nuances.
February 9, 2025
DNF
I really wanted to enjoy this book. After all, it was my first non-autism-centered read, and I love a good romance book. However, my opinions shifted as I read through it more. First off, I hated how Mai’s character was handled. I initially understood why she was upset with Zach, but the way she handled it made this book frustrating to read. Despite Zach being so kind to her, Mai would mistreat him on a few occasions. She also talked about how much she “hated” Zach, although it’s obvious that it’s not true. I understand that Mai is only a preteen, and your emotions tend to be all over the place at this age. However, to craft a good story, you have to make your protagonist likable enough to root for them. Unfortunately, Mai’s behavior was so harsh that I couldn’t root for her.
Additionally, I feel like their romance misses the mark in some areas. They did not lay the foundation for why Mai and Zach liked each other, and Mai’s behavior made their moments together feel unearned. When the story tries to make Zach appear redeemable or "swoon-worthy," it makes Mai come off as unlikeable and irrational. I also felt like Zach having abs (yes, he has abs despite it being uncommon for most boys his age) was an unnecessary element of the story, and it didn’t make much sense considering what his hobbies were. It’s almost as if the plot didn’t want its readers to appreciate Zach as a character but rather like him in the same way Mai does.
It’s a shame that I couldn’t enjoy this book because I could tell the author put a lot of thought into Zach and Mai’s relationship. But sadly, there were too many “sour” elements in the story for me to finish it.
Thank you for reading, and God bless!
I really wanted to enjoy this book. After all, it was my first non-autism-centered read, and I love a good romance book. However, my opinions shifted as I read through it more. First off, I hated how Mai’s character was handled. I initially understood why she was upset with Zach, but the way she handled it made this book frustrating to read. Despite Zach being so kind to her, Mai would mistreat him on a few occasions. She also talked about how much she “hated” Zach, although it’s obvious that it’s not true. I understand that Mai is only a preteen, and your emotions tend to be all over the place at this age. However, to craft a good story, you have to make your protagonist likable enough to root for them. Unfortunately, Mai’s behavior was so harsh that I couldn’t root for her.
Additionally, I feel like their romance misses the mark in some areas. They did not lay the foundation for why Mai and Zach liked each other, and Mai’s behavior made their moments together feel unearned. When the story tries to make Zach appear redeemable or "swoon-worthy," it makes Mai come off as unlikeable and irrational. I also felt like Zach having abs (yes, he has abs despite it being uncommon for most boys his age) was an unnecessary element of the story, and it didn’t make much sense considering what his hobbies were. It’s almost as if the plot didn’t want its readers to appreciate Zach as a character but rather like him in the same way Mai does.
It’s a shame that I couldn’t enjoy this book because I could tell the author put a lot of thought into Zach and Mai’s relationship. But sadly, there were too many “sour” elements in the story for me to finish it.
Thank you for reading, and God bless!
December 8, 2023
There's a good story in here, it just hinges on a weak premise.
Mai and Zach. Summer friends. Sweet and Sour. Total opposites that somehow work together in the best possible way, until one summer...they don't. Zach betrays Mai's trust and their friendship and now they're thrown back together two years later, and Mai wants justice.
It's hard to know where to start. The biggest issue is just that if you are going to sit on disclosing the reason for a significant falling out, it had better be a good one. If the entire issue hangs in one character's refusal to disclose pretty key information they had better have an at least semi-plausible reason for doing it. Mai's rationales don't really hold water which just makes her incredibly unsympathetic.
All of the secondary characters are really interesting and I enjoyed all the K-pop nods. I also enjoyed the B Plot that centers on Mai's love of nature , but I wish there was more to the A Plot. If the falling out hasn't been so one-sided I think it would have made for a better story. This makes me think of the saying about how holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to get sick. Mai learns this lesson but much, much later than she should.
Mai and Zach. Summer friends. Sweet and Sour. Total opposites that somehow work together in the best possible way, until one summer...they don't. Zach betrays Mai's trust and their friendship and now they're thrown back together two years later, and Mai wants justice.
It's hard to know where to start. The biggest issue is just that if you are going to sit on disclosing the reason for a significant falling out, it had better be a good one. If the entire issue hangs in one character's refusal to disclose pretty key information they had better have an at least semi-plausible reason for doing it. Mai's rationales don't really hold water which just makes her incredibly unsympathetic.
All of the secondary characters are really interesting and I enjoyed all the K-pop nods. I also enjoyed the B Plot that centers on Mai's love of nature , but I wish there was more to the A Plot. If the falling out hasn't been so one-sided I think it would have made for a better story. This makes me think of the saying about how holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to get sick. Mai learns this lesson but much, much later than she should.
February 27, 2022
It is no secret that I absolutely adore Debbi Michiko Florence's upper MG characters, and Mai and Zach are no exception. Mai's love for BTS and birdwatching were so fun, and I'm still not over the fact that Zach learned choreography and cut his hair like Mai's bias to try and impress her!! Honestly, more guys should take note!
This book also explores the messy side of friendships and addresses issues like jealousy, insecurity, and misunderstandings in a way that felt grounded and real. I'm glad that Mai also saw her mom's super strong friendship with Zach's mom had cracks at times, and that they were able to move past it and become even closer. "Sweet" or "Sour" flashbacks are used to show Mai and Zach's friendship over time, which culminates in sweet AND sour moments where they embrace the good and the bad and vow to make new memories together.
This book also explores the messy side of friendships and addresses issues like jealousy, insecurity, and misunderstandings in a way that felt grounded and real. I'm glad that Mai also saw her mom's super strong friendship with Zach's mom had cracks at times, and that they were able to move past it and become even closer. "Sweet" or "Sour" flashbacks are used to show Mai and Zach's friendship over time, which culminates in sweet AND sour moments where they embrace the good and the bad and vow to make new memories together.
February 15, 2023
Sweet and Sour approaches very serious issues in a realistic—yet gentle—way. Some of the topics covered are racism and broken trust. I really enjoyed this novel. There were some parts that I cringed at, but mostly because of the miscommunication and sabotage tropes and the way the characters handled it. (To be fair, I think most kids that age would’ve handled it the same way.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2025
SOOO cute omg. genuinely such a fun read.
i really appreciated how there's no huge fallout that happens due to mai's revenge plot, that soothed like all of my worries soo much and all of zachs actions were so cute. sure mai's sullen behavior gets a little annoying but she's also a teenage girl. she's allowed to be wishy washy abt her feelings. wrapped up really nice and the sweet + sour thing was such a cute little part i loved it.
overall, i would read more middle grade if they're written like this. easily digestible and enjoyable!
i really appreciated how there's no huge fallout that happens due to mai's revenge plot, that soothed like all of my worries soo much and all of zachs actions were so cute. sure mai's sullen behavior gets a little annoying but she's also a teenage girl. she's allowed to be wishy washy abt her feelings. wrapped up really nice and the sweet + sour thing was such a cute little part i loved it.
overall, i would read more middle grade if they're written like this. easily digestible and enjoyable!
April 6, 2022
Best family friends....or not!!! Why does Mai want to get even with Zach so much...and after she learns about his true intentions/feelings, will she feel the same? MG kids will love this story! I love this author and she didn't disappoint!
#bookposse
#bookposse
November 12, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Mai's family lives in California, but are able to spend six weeks every summer with her mother's best friend. The Koyamas have a house near Mystic, Connecticut, twins who are six, and a son a year older than Mai, Zach. Mai and Zach have been best friends forever, but right before the Koyamas moved to Japan for two years, Zach didn't stand up for Mai when two of his friends said racist things about her. Since she hasn't seen him for two years, her resentment has festered, and she arrives in Connecticut working on a plan to get back at him. Her friend Lila, who is back in California playing in a rock band (the two are HUGE BTS fans), video chats with her frequently, and is going to come to visit later in the summer. It's hard to ignore Zach, who has come back from Japan with small, thoughtful gifts for her and who spent time modeling when he was gone. His friends from school spend a lot of time at the house, and Mai enjoys being able to talk to Celeste, the girlfriend of Zach's friend. She's fun and positive, which also makes it hard for Mai to hold onto her grudge. The summer is bookended by the two's birthdays; Zach's at the beginnings, and Mai's at the end, and there is all kind of fun in between; getting ice cream in town, playing with the twins, and hanging out on the beach. It's not as much fun for Mai, however, who tries to think of ways she can hurt Zach. Lila is all for this plan until she visits and sees that Zach really is well meaning and doesn't seem to know he has angered Mai. Tween relationship, however, can turn quickly, and Mai manages to run afoul of both Lila and Celeste during Lila's visit, but manages to straighten things out. After Zach kisses her, she has very mixed emotions, and stops talking to him because she is so conflicted. Will Mai be able to finally discuss matters with her long time best friend honestly so that she can move past her anger?
Strengths: Summers in a resort community. Life long friends you only see once a year. Friends who are boys who become ridiculously attractive. Ice cream on the beach. Sigh. So many appealing things happen in this book, but they are overshadowed by overwhelming, life changing tween angst. Perfect. As someone who still has grudges against people I went to high school with, I can completely understand Mai's feelings about Zach, and it's good to observe that she really suffers through all of the emotions associated with the perceived slight, and that the resolution isn't easy. The Mystic, Connecticut setting is great fun, and the supporting characters like Celeste add another layer of interest. I loved that Mai wears dresses! Add to this some Japanese culture, misunderstandings between people that are worked out in exemplary fashion, and the thrill of romance, and Sweet and Sour is quite an appealing read.
Weaknesses: As an adult, the teen angst seemed a bit much, but my readers will love this. They will also understand the appeal of BTS and boys wearing eyeliner. I didn't care for it in the 80s, and don't see the appeal now, so I am REALLY old! Also, the dancing current bands do is more about speed and precision than grace and fluidity, so it looks like they are having seizures. I'm going to go rock on the porch now and wave my cane at passersby.
What I really think: Florence's Keep it Together, Keiko Carter and Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai are very popular in my library with readers of the Scholastic WISH novels, and I think this summer of romance and revenge will be frequently recommended among my students. Now, if it could just encourage the girls to realize that wearing dresses are not evil, that would be great!
Mai's family lives in California, but are able to spend six weeks every summer with her mother's best friend. The Koyamas have a house near Mystic, Connecticut, twins who are six, and a son a year older than Mai, Zach. Mai and Zach have been best friends forever, but right before the Koyamas moved to Japan for two years, Zach didn't stand up for Mai when two of his friends said racist things about her. Since she hasn't seen him for two years, her resentment has festered, and she arrives in Connecticut working on a plan to get back at him. Her friend Lila, who is back in California playing in a rock band (the two are HUGE BTS fans), video chats with her frequently, and is going to come to visit later in the summer. It's hard to ignore Zach, who has come back from Japan with small, thoughtful gifts for her and who spent time modeling when he was gone. His friends from school spend a lot of time at the house, and Mai enjoys being able to talk to Celeste, the girlfriend of Zach's friend. She's fun and positive, which also makes it hard for Mai to hold onto her grudge. The summer is bookended by the two's birthdays; Zach's at the beginnings, and Mai's at the end, and there is all kind of fun in between; getting ice cream in town, playing with the twins, and hanging out on the beach. It's not as much fun for Mai, however, who tries to think of ways she can hurt Zach. Lila is all for this plan until she visits and sees that Zach really is well meaning and doesn't seem to know he has angered Mai. Tween relationship, however, can turn quickly, and Mai manages to run afoul of both Lila and Celeste during Lila's visit, but manages to straighten things out. After Zach kisses her, she has very mixed emotions, and stops talking to him because she is so conflicted. Will Mai be able to finally discuss matters with her long time best friend honestly so that she can move past her anger?
Strengths: Summers in a resort community. Life long friends you only see once a year. Friends who are boys who become ridiculously attractive. Ice cream on the beach. Sigh. So many appealing things happen in this book, but they are overshadowed by overwhelming, life changing tween angst. Perfect. As someone who still has grudges against people I went to high school with, I can completely understand Mai's feelings about Zach, and it's good to observe that she really suffers through all of the emotions associated with the perceived slight, and that the resolution isn't easy. The Mystic, Connecticut setting is great fun, and the supporting characters like Celeste add another layer of interest. I loved that Mai wears dresses! Add to this some Japanese culture, misunderstandings between people that are worked out in exemplary fashion, and the thrill of romance, and Sweet and Sour is quite an appealing read.
Weaknesses: As an adult, the teen angst seemed a bit much, but my readers will love this. They will also understand the appeal of BTS and boys wearing eyeliner. I didn't care for it in the 80s, and don't see the appeal now, so I am REALLY old! Also, the dancing current bands do is more about speed and precision than grace and fluidity, so it looks like they are having seizures. I'm going to go rock on the porch now and wave my cane at passersby.
What I really think: Florence's Keep it Together, Keiko Carter and Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai are very popular in my library with readers of the Scholastic WISH novels, and I think this summer of romance and revenge will be frequently recommended among my students. Now, if it could just encourage the girls to realize that wearing dresses are not evil, that would be great!
May 16, 2023
Imagine 11 years of summer vacations in which your family and another family join to spend 6 weeks living together in a beachside home, skip one summer, and then return to the routine - when you are age 13.
The Japanese American moms in each family are lifelong friends, and the total of 4 children (Zach Koyama and his twin younger brothers in the hosting family, and Amai Hirano (aka Mai) in the guest family) clearly have grown up like cousins, even though they live distant lives the rest of the year.
The story is told from the perspective of Mai, who was betrayed by the slightly older Zach the last time their families spent the summer together. Because Zach's family went to live abroad in Japan for two years, Mai and Zach didn't have a chance to meet face-to-face to air their issues...and there is plenty of foreshadowing that she will get over it and they will eventually get along; lots of good memories, Zach repeatedly making what marriage counselors call "bids for repair," and Mai's compulsion to put her opinions and feelings into words - and her skill in setting personal boundaries with friends.
The cover illustration - a clearly-outlined, cartoon-like graphic of Mai and Zach - telegraphs the style of the story; everything will be spelled-out, even-handed, and positive. So Mai's initial attempts to stop herself from thinking about or reliving the betrayal event very quickly feel petulant, juvenile, and stubborn. Which is totally age-appropriate and realistic!
What I liked was that Mai, even without much social sophistication or maturity, has instinctive boundary-setting behaviors and speaks up for herself, or (if she's not ready) makes separate space and time to soothe herself.
Another thing I liked was that the incident that instigates all the brouhaha was serious, but also had no concrete consequences beyond the hurt feelings. This wasn't a snowballing sequence of cause-&-effect that would be challenging to put back in order. It is a simple, straightforward, person-to-person issue. And the remediation is begun before the discussion happens, because the two people were already in a mutually respectful and appreciative relationship. This is a friendship story where one person does some harm unintentionally and the harmed person has to
It's a bit pedantic - but also serves as a model for gentle, patient, intellectual, caring young readers to speak up fro themselves when a trusted member of the family lets them down.
The Japanese American moms in each family are lifelong friends, and the total of 4 children (Zach Koyama and his twin younger brothers in the hosting family, and Amai Hirano (aka Mai) in the guest family) clearly have grown up like cousins, even though they live distant lives the rest of the year.
The story is told from the perspective of Mai, who was betrayed by the slightly older Zach the last time their families spent the summer together. Because Zach's family went to live abroad in Japan for two years, Mai and Zach didn't have a chance to meet face-to-face to air their issues...and there is plenty of foreshadowing that she will get over it and they will eventually get along; lots of good memories, Zach repeatedly making what marriage counselors call "bids for repair," and Mai's compulsion to put her opinions and feelings into words - and her skill in setting personal boundaries with friends.
The cover illustration - a clearly-outlined, cartoon-like graphic of Mai and Zach - telegraphs the style of the story; everything will be spelled-out, even-handed, and positive. So Mai's initial attempts to stop herself from thinking about or reliving the betrayal event very quickly feel petulant, juvenile, and stubborn. Which is totally age-appropriate and realistic!
What I liked was that Mai, even without much social sophistication or maturity, has instinctive boundary-setting behaviors and speaks up for herself, or (if she's not ready) makes separate space and time to soothe herself.
Another thing I liked was that the incident that instigates all the brouhaha was serious, but also had no concrete consequences beyond the hurt feelings. This wasn't a snowballing sequence of cause-&-effect that would be challenging to put back in order. It is a simple, straightforward, person-to-person issue. And the remediation is begun before the discussion happens, because the two people were already in a mutually respectful and appreciative relationship. This is a friendship story where one person does some harm unintentionally and the harmed person has to
It's a bit pedantic - but also serves as a model for gentle, patient, intellectual, caring young readers to speak up fro themselves when a trusted member of the family lets them down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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